Philadelphia Woman Pleads Guilty in Racketeering and Hate Crimes Case

PHILADELPHIA - Linda Weston, 55, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty today to all charges in a racketeering and hate crimes case that involved holding disabled adults captive in locked closets, basements, and attics in Philadelphia’s Tacony section and in other states. Weston pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy, kidnapping resulting in the death of the victim, forced human labor, involuntary servitude, multiple counts of murder in aid of racketeering, hate crime, violent crime in aid of racketeering, sex trafficking, kidnapping, theft of government funds, wire fraud, mail fraud, use of a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime, and false statements. U.S. District Court Judge Cynthia M. Rufe scheduled a sentencing hearing for November 5, 2015. Weston has agreed to a sentence of life plus 80 years in prison, restitution, fines, supervised release, and special assessments.

From approximately 2001 through October 2011, Linda Weston and her co-conspirators lured mentally handicapped individuals into locations rented by Weston, Jean McIntosh, Eddie Wright and others in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Killeen, Texas, Norfolk, Virginia, and West Palm Beach, Florida. The group targeted mentally challenged individuals who were estranged from their families. Once Linda Weston convinced them to move in, she became their representative payee with Social Security and began to receive their disability benefits and in some instances, their state benefits. On one occasion, Weston and one of her co-defendants took the Social Security and identification documents from a victim by force and then used the funds for her own and Weston family purposes.

Weston, Jean McIntosh, Eddie Wright and others confined their victims to locked rooms, basements, closets, attics, and apartments. While confined, the captives were often isolated, in the dark, and sedated with drugs placed in their food and drink by Weston and other defendants. When the individuals tried to escape, stole food, or otherwise protested their treatment, Weston and others punished them by slapping, punching, kicking, stabbing, burning and hitting them with closed hands, belts, sticks, bats, and hammers or other objects, including the butt of a pistol. Some victims endured the abuse for years, until October 15, 2011, when Philadelphia Police officers rescued them from the sub-basement of an apartment building in the city's Tacony section. The enterprise victimized six disabled adults and four children.

The case was investigated by the FBI, the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, IRS Criminal Investigations, the Philadelphia Police Department, and the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives’ West Palm Beach Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Richard P. Barrett and Faithe Moore Taylor.